Author: Rachel Ravencraft

U.S. Dairy Statement on U.S.-China Board of Trade

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council welcomed an announcement today of the operationalization of a U.S.-China Board of Trade and its initial product scope:

Gregg Doud, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation

“America’s dairy farmers welcome the launch of the U.S.-China Board of Trade, and we commend USTR for prioritizing agricultural exports. Retaliatory tariffs continue to put U.S. dairy at a disadvantage in China while our competitors gain ground. We are encouraged by dairy’s inclusion as products slated for retaliatory tariff reductions. U.S. dairy farmers look forward to seeing China’s tariff retaliation on dairy fully lifted and urge the inclusion of dairy in as key part of China’s agricultural purchase commitments. The positive momentum today is good for farmers, good for trade and good for both countries.”

Krysta Harden, President and CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council

“The U.S. dairy industry strongly supports the launch of the U.S.-China Board of Trade and the prospect it offers for giving U.S. dairy exporters and their customers the predictability they need. We are encouraged by the inclusion of U.S. dairy exports on the list of products to be considered for tariff reduction. USDEC urges the Board to swiftly deliver the full elimination of the retaliatory tariffs that still weigh on U.S. dairy so our suppliers can compete on a more level playing field. The two-month extension of the tariff truce is also a welcome step forward. As wider talks continue, it is essential that proposed port fees on Chinese ships are not passed along to U.S. agricultural exporters. Added freight costs would undercut the very gains the Board of Trade is meant to achieve.”

Announcements by the U.S. and China governments indicated that the Board of Trade’s tariff relief will be implemented “consistent with their respective domestic laws and processes” rather than taking effect immediately. In July, USDEC and NMPF provided input on the Board of Trade’s design and product coverage, stressing the need for relief from retaliatory tariffs on U.S. dairy exports. Both organizations will continue working with the U.S. government to remove remaining barriers to trade and prevent new ones.

U.S. Dairy Statement on Luke Lindberg World Food Programme Appointment

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council today welcomed the appointment of Luke Lindberg to serve as executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

Statement from Gregg Doud, President and CEO of NMPF:

“U.S. dairy farmers are proud to support the nutrition needs of billions worldwide, including through global food aid packages that incorporate nutrient-dense dairy ingredients. The work that Under Secretary Lindberg will lead with the World Food Programme (WFP) is instrumental in supporting those most in need. His appointment is an exceptional choice in advancing the WFP’s important mission into the future. We encourage him to incorporate additional U.S. dairy products in the Programme’s initiatives and we look forward to continuing to work alongside him in this new role.”

Statement from Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC:

“While we will certainly miss Under Secretary Lindberg’s leadership at USDA, we congratulate him on this important new opportunity. The U.S. dairy community has long supported international humanitarian efforts to combat malnutrition and reach the most vulnerable among us, but we believe incorporation of dairy in these critical packages has been underutilized, particularly given the nutrient-dense nature of our products. Under Secretary Lindberg’s impressive experience and talent will be an asset in leading the World Food Programme (WFP) to a new frontier. USDEC is excited to collaborate with him in supporting WFP’s critical work around the globe and explore opportunities to increase the availability of U.S. dairy products for WFP’s humanitarian efforts.”

NMPF Applauds Senate Farm Bill Committee Passage

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

From NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud:  

“We applaud Chairman Boozman and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee for advancing the 2026 Senate Farm Bill, which includes key provisions that support and strengthen the dairy industry. With a farm bill already through the House, we’re hopeful that both chambers can now work together on full congressional passage in 2026 that gives dairy farmers the certainty they deserve.”

Ag committees head toward new leadership

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Trey Forsyth, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs

Whatever the outcome of this year’s midterms, agriculture is about to get a fresh set of hands on the wheel in Washington. Both the House and Senate Agriculture committees are heading toward new leadership in the next Congress, and the choices both parties make could shape farm policy for years beyond the current farm bill fight.

 

The clearest opening is on the House Agriculture Committee, where Ranking Member Angie Craig, (D-Minn.), gave up her seat this cycle to run for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat, guaranteeing a new top Democrat on the panel next year. House Agriculture Committee Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown, (D-Ohio), has already expressed interest with her colleagues in taking the top job, and others on the committee may throw their name in the ring as well.

On the Republican side, Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, (R-Pa.), has reached his six-year term limit under House GOP conference rules and has asked leadership for a waiver to stay on. If that request is denied, Republicans will be picking their own new leader as well, with Rep. Austin Scott, (R-Ga.), reportedly already making his case for the gavel.

The Senate is set for a similar transition. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, (D-Minn.), ranking member of the Senate on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, is running for Minnesota governor this fall. If she wins in November, she’ll resign her Senate seat, opening a path for other Democrats on the committee to step into a bigger role. Sen. Michael Bennet, (D-Colo.), who lost his bid for Colorado governor earlier this year, is the next most senior senator on committee and is among those positioned to take on more responsibility for the panel’s Democrats.

All of this is happening as Congress tries to close out the farm bill. The last full reauthorization expired in 2023, and lawmakers have been filling the gap piece-by-piece — first through last year’s reconciliation package, and now through Chairman John Boozman’s, (R-Ark.), “Farm Bill 2.0” effort in the Senate, which follows the House’s April passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. With only a handful of legislative days left before the election, and Congress not expected back until mid-November, there’s still a chance the bill gets finished during the lame-duck session.

That timing could work in farmers’ favor. Lawmakers who’ve spent months negotiating the details have every incentive to close the deal before new committee leadership resets the conversation. A lame-duck farm bill, built on the progress already made this Congress, could be the more efficient path, sparing the incoming chairs and ranking members from having to relitigate fights that are already close to resolved.

If the bill slips past the lame duck, it will fall to a new slate of leaders on both committees to pick the negotiations back up in the next Congress — a fresh cast of members getting up to speed on a bill that’s already been through years of hearings, markups, and compromise. That’s a real setback for farmers who need certainty now. The progress made this Congress is worth finishing this Congress, giving new leadership on the agriculture committees a clean foundation to build on rather than an unfinished fight to inherit.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Sept. 14, 2026.

Milk, cheese, and Mexico: A partnership grows

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Jaime Castaneda, Executive Vice President, Policy Development & Strategy

For America’s dairy farmers, few trade relationships matter more than the one we have built with Mexico. This summer brought fresh proof that partnership remains strong, and fresh urgency to get the policy details right as the two countries renegotiate trade terms.

Deepening ties at the binational summit

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) led a delegation of U.S. dairy leaders to Querétaro, Mexico, from July 29 to 31, for the eighth annual U.S.-Mexico Binational Dairy Summit.

NMPF and leading Mexican dairy organizations discussed issues affecting producers and consumers in both countries, and reaffirmed shared principles supporting dairy sector growth and competitiveness in both markets. Participants also adopted a new commitment: supporting the next generation of dairy farmers through the exchange of knowledge and experience.

“When dairy farmers on both sides of the border sit down together, we find we’re solving the same problems and chasing the same opportunities,” said Becky Nyman, a dairy farmer who took part in this year’s summit. “This relationship works because it’s built on real conversations.”

Why Mexico matters to U.S. dairy farmers

Mexico is the single most important export market for American dairy by a wide margin. In 2025, Mexico bought $2.6 billion worth of U.S. dairy products — 27% of all U.S. dairy exports by value — making it America’s top cheese customer ($965 million), and top buyer of nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder ($1.1 billion).

That success didn’t happen overnight. Before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) took effect in 1994, U.S. dairy exports to Mexico totaled just $211 million a year. Mexico crossed the $1 billion threshold in 2011; by 2025, that figure had grown nearly two-and-a-half-fold again.

Every pound of cheese and every truckload of milk powder moving south reflects real commercial value on U.S. dairy farms. That’s why strengthening this relationship is a bottom-line issue for producers nationwide.

USMCA Talks: where things stand

That growth is precisely why NMPF has been at the negotiating table as the U.S. and Mexico work through the review process of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). In addition to the Querétaro summit, NMPF’s Shawna Morris and I traveled to Mexico City July 22 to 23 for the third round of U.S.-Mexico bilateral negotiations. U.S. talks with Canada are continuing on a separate track.

Throughout the week, Shawna and I pressed Mexican officials, including the lead agricultural negotiator, trade ministry staff, and the director general of Mexico’s intellectual property office, on two priorities: protecting common cheese names like “Feta” and “Parmesan” from restrictions Mexico is facing pressure to adopt under its trade deal with the European Union, and preserving the broad market access that U.S. dairy exporters currently enjoy in the Mexican market.

NMPF-led engagement also included meetings with Mexican dairy industry leadership, plus briefings on Capitol Hill and with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. As confidential advisors to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and USDA, Shawna and I are continuing to urge the U.S. negotiating team to resolve outstanding issues constructively so a stronger and renewed trade agreement with Mexico emerges from this review.

Mexico didn’t become the top dairy market of the United States by accident. It took fair trade rules to open the door, and decades of relationship-building to keep it open. As USMCA negotiations continue, NMPF will keep working every angle to make sure this relationship remains productive for the next generation of dairy farmers on both sides of the border.

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Aug. 31, 2026.

Emissions reporting ruling draws near

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Clay Detlefsen, Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Environmental Affairs

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), was created in 1986. It’s intended to help communities plan for chemical emergencies and requires industry to report on the storage, use, and release of hazardous substances to federal, state, and local governments. Overall, EPCRA is actually a good legislation, and it was passed by Congress for a good reason.

But EPCRA is also a very complicated and comprehensive law, with many provisions. And while some provisions make a lot of sense, others don’t, depending on how they’re applied.

The dairy industry can be subject to reporting requirements in EPCRA 304 — an emergency reporting obligation when chemicals are released into the environment — as well as reporting obligations under EPCRA 311, EPCRA 312, and EPCRA 313.

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has worked for decades to resolve conflict with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental activists over various EPCRA reporting mandates for dairy farmers and processors, and has had success in resolving many of those conflicts. Now, we’re on the precipice of resolving yet another EPCRA reporting conflict: a Section 304 provision that requires reporting of air emissions from manure.

This EPCRA obligation is triggered when there’s a release of 100 pounds or more of anhydrous ammonia or ammonia off manure in a 24-hour time frame. By my rough estimates, about 1,400 cows would trigger an obligation. This requirement creates a lot of unnecessary work for dairy farmers, and also for government officials and emergency responders, which nobody wants. So, in 2008, EPA proposed an air emission from manure exemption to the reporting requirements under Section 304 for farmers.

That rule was challenged in the courts by environmental activists who ultimately won in 2017. EPA then recrafted another exemption in 2019 which has also been challenged, but thankfully, last year, the federal district court ruled that the EPCRA exemption from EPA was in fact valid and appropriate. That ruling is now under appeal, and the appeals court will likely have oral arguments on that issue within the next six months. So now, after nearly 20 years of back-and-forth in the courts, we may soon be able to put this issue to rest once and for all.

This exciting development is just one example of the many regulatory issues that NMPF has poured time and resources into over the years. From environmental issues to food safety to nutrition and the similarly long-term fight against plant-based dairy imposters, regulatory changes take years. And though you may not always hear about these issues, some of NMPF’s most successful regulatory battles are won in Washington before the effects ever reach the dairy farm.

To hear more about the history of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and NMPF’s work to support dairy farmers, check out the latest episode of the “Dairy Defined” podcast.

 

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on Aug. 17, 2026.

Dairy Farmers Near Win in Decades-Long Regulatory Fight

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, aka EPCRA, was created in 1986 to help communities plan for chemical emergencies. It requires industry to report on the storage, use, and release of hazardous substances to federal, state, and local governments.

It’s a good law, says NMPF Chief Counsel Clay Detlefsen, but unintended consequences have snared dairy farmers into a decades-long fight against over-regulation. And for those decades, Detlefsen’s been part of every twist and turn, with potential light at the end of the tunnel within the next year.

“EPCRA overall I think is a great law. It’s just been misconstrued by environmental activists, and they’ve hijacked a good law for nefarious purposes,” Detlefsen said. “My job is making sure that regulatory agencies don’t do stupid things, and yes, it takes literally decades to stop things from happening.”

International Food Aid Programs Prioritize U.S. Dairy

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF welcomed the Trump administration’s announcement of a new partnership to expand the use of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) to combat severe acute malnutrition worldwide, an important step forward for both global nutrition and America’s dairy farmers.

The U.S. State Department will provide up to $100 million over the next two years through Operation End Starvation to deliver life-saving nutrition assistance, building on the administration’s distribution of more than 27,000 metric tons of RUTFs that treated nearly 2.7 million children in 15 countries last year. RUTF incorporates U.S. milk powders, providing high-quality dairy protein and essential nutrients that are critical to treating severe acute malnutrition and wasting among young children.

The announcement reflects years of advocacy by NMPF and USDEC to expand the use of U.S. dairy ingredients in international food assistance programs. Congress in February approved a record $300 million in funding supported by NMPF for RUTF procurement, helping ensure that American-produced milk powders continue to play a central role in treating malnutrition while creating an additional market for U.S. dairy producers.

NMPF and USDEC also submitted comments to USDA on July 24 urging the department to expand dairy’s role in the non-emergency Food for Peace program. The organizations encouraged USDA to incorporate U.S. milk powders into school milk and other controlled feeding programs through reconstituted fluid milk, increase procurement of dairy-containing SuperCereal+ formulations, and continue broadening the use of nutrient-dense U.S. dairy ingredients in food assistance.

The comments emphasize dairy’s nutritional value, long shelf life, established safety standards, and the opportunity to pair humanitarian assistance with long-term market development by introducing children to dairy products in emerging markets.

NMPF Strengthens Partnerships in Latin America

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF and USDEC led a delegation of U.S. dairy industry leaders to Guanajuato, Mexico for the eighth annual U.S.-Mexico Dairy Binational event July 29-30, building on a longstanding partnership to mutually grow demand and address shared issues with the United States’ largest dairy trading partner. Producers from Dairy Farmers of America and Land O’Lakes joined the event.

Coming on the heels of the third round of USMCA negotiations with Mexico, the two industries reaffirmed their commitment to collectively growing the U.S. and Mexican dairy markets, limiting trade barriers and promoting the image of dairy. Participants also included a new commitment to collaboratively support the next generation of dairy farmers.

Further south, NMPF and USDEC signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Livestock Producers of the Highlands and Eastern Region (AGSO), a major agricultural cooperative based in Ecuador, on July 13 in Quito. The agreement deepens ties between the U.S. and Ecuadorian dairy sectors and commits the parties to cooperate on knowledge-sharing, dairy consumption promotion, productivity improvements, and coordinated engagement in international forums like Codex and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. The MOU includes a shared commitment to defend common food names such as “parmesan” and oppose foreign efforts to restrict their use.

The agreement is the latest step in NMPF’s sustained push across Latin America, building on momentum from the U.S.-Ecuador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade which will lower dairy tariffs and address nontariff barriers to trade. As global pressure mounts on common names and market access, NMPF continues cultivating regional relationships to strengthen U.S. dairy’s footprint and defend shared industry interests across Latin America.

U.S. Dairy Welcomes Trade Deal with Jordan as New U.S. Tariffs Announced

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NMPF welcomed a tenth Agreement on Reciprocal Trade on July 21 with a new deal signed between the United States and Jordan that reinforces duty-free access for U.S. dairy exports and secures important commitments to address nontariff barriers.

The agreement builds on the 2001 U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and advances priorities NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) have consistently advocated in trade negotiations, including preempting unnecessary regulatory barriers and protecting the use of common cheese names.

Specific to dairy, Jordan committed to recognize the U.S. dairy safety system as equivalent to its own and refrain from imposing facility registration requirements on U.S. dairy imports. The agreement also protects the use of 40 common cheese names, including “parmesan,” “feta” and “asiago,” and establishes transparent procedures for evaluating geographical indications applications. Additional commitments on import licensing, technical regulations, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures are intended to ensure science-based, predictable trade rules that facilitate U.S. dairy exports.

The deal came shortly before United States on July 24 imposed new Section 301 tariffs on 60 markets around the world due to their “failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.” Ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent by country, with exemptions for USMCA-compliant goods, the new duties replace the 10 percent Section 122 tariffs imposed in February due to balance of payments deficits, which expired after the 150-day statutory limit.

USTR also granted zero exemptions for dairy imports into the United States under the new tariff announcement, following NMPF and USDEC’s July 6 comments urging the agency to keep dairy off exemption lists. The comments highlighted the more than $2 billion dairy trade deficit between the United States and the European Union driven primarily by a web of tariff and nontariff barriers. NMPF and USDEC noted that granting the European Union its request for dairy tariff relief would be a step in the wrong direction to correcting the deeply imbalanced transatlantic trade relationship.

While China maintains a 10 percent tariff on all U.S. exports, including dairy, no additional markets announced plans for retaliation. NMPF will continue to work with the administration to ensure the leverage yields new market access for U.S. dairy exporters, building on the 10 Agreements on Reciprocal Trade signed to date.

July NEXT-Assisted Export Sales Surpass 15.8 Million Pounds

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

NEXT member cooperatives secured 65 contracts in July, adding 15.8 million pounds of product in NEXT-assisted sales in 2026. These products will go to customers in Asia, North America, Middle East-North Africa, Oceania, the Caribbean, South America and Central America and will be shipped from July 2026 through January 2027.

Exporting dairy products is critical to the viability of dairy farmers and their cooperatives across the country. Whether or not a cooperative is actively engaged in exporting, moving products into world markets is essential. NEXT provides a means to move domestic dairy products to overseas markets by helping to overcome U.S. dairy’s trade disadvantages.

The referenced amounts of dairy products reflect current contracts for delivery, not completed export volumes. NEXT will pay export assistance to bidders only when export and delivery of product is verified by submission of required documentation.